![]() In August, however, they reached the charts with both sides of their single “Kisses Sweeter than Wine” (music by “Joel Newman”, adapted from the Irish folk song “Drimmer’s Cow,” lyrics by “Paul Campbell” )/“When the Saints Go Marching In” (music by James M. The campaign against The Weavers’ political associations intensified during the summer of 1951, as a television appearance and a scheduled concert at the Ohio State Fair were canceled and other bookings began to diminish. (Though it was a traditional American folk song, “On Top of Old Smoky” was copyrighted as having new lyrics and arrangement by Seeger. They reached the Top Ten for the third time with their second million-seller, “On Top of Old Smoky,” credited to The Weavers and Terry Gilkyson, in April. ![]() In February they scored their second Top Ten hit with “So Long (It’s Been Good to Know Yuh)” (music and lyrics by Woody Guthrie), again credited to Gordon Jenkins and His Orch. They enjoyed their second chart single in December with “The Roving Kind” (music and lyrics by Jessie Cavanaugh and Arnold Stanton, adapted from a traditional English folk song), the B-side of which was “(The Wreck of the) John B” (music and lyrics by Lee Hays, adapted from a Bahamian folk song collected by Carl Sandburg).Īt the start of 1951 The Weavers undertook a six-month tour of the major nightclubs in the U.S. Nevertheless, they resumed performing and recording following a summer layoff. This marked the beginning of the blacklisting of the group for its political views. The Weavers were set to become regulars on a summer replacement television program when Seeger was cited in the publication Red Channels: Communist Influence on Radio and Television in June and the contract was canceled. “Tzena Tzena Tzena” hit the Top Ten in July, while “Goodnight Irene” topped the charts for months, starting in August the disc reportedly sold about two million copies. They signed to Decca Records and their single “Tzena Tzena Tzena” (music by Issachor Miron, revised by Julius Grossman, English lyrics by Mitchell Parish)/“Goodnight Irene” (music and lyrics by Lead Belly), credited to Gordon Jenkins and His Orch. The Weavers were on the verge of disbanding in December 1949 when they auditioned at the Village Vanguard in N.Y Booked into the club for two weeks at the end of the year, they were extended for six months. In December they recorded a second single, “The Hammer Song” (later known as “If I Had a Hammer” music by Pete Seeger, lyrics by Lee Hays)/“Banks of Marble” (music and lyrics by Les Rice) for Hootenanny Records. In September 1949 they made their first recordings for the independent Charter Records label, which released the single “Wasn’t That a Time” (music and lyrics by Lee Hays)/“Dig My Grave” (traditional Bahamian folk hymn). They played at benefits and on local radio during 1949, initially as the No-Name Quartet, then took their name from the 1892 German play The Weavers by Gerhart Hauptmann. ![]() They first performed together at a benefit for People’s Songs in November 1948. Seeger and Hays were former members of The Almanac Singers they became involved with Gilbert and Hellerman through their work with People’s Songs, an organization that promoted the performance of topical folk music in support of left-wing causes. Their most successful recordings were the singles “Goodnight Irene” /“Tzena Tzena Tzena,” “On Top of Old Smoky,” and “So Long (It’s Been Good to Know Yuh)” and their album The Weavers at Carnegie Hall They adapted folk songs from many different countries into their own vibrant style, popularizing a wide range of music, as well as performed the songs of such American folk predecessors as Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie they also wrote their own material. Thus, they are a direct influence on such subsequent groups as The Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary, as well as on the overall folk revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Weavers were the first broadly popular group of contemporary urban folk musicians and singers. Membership:originally, Pete Seeger, ten., bjo., gtr. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |